"You step back and go, 'Wow, this is some good stuff,' " Rollinson said.

Brennan played in the shadow of Leinart, his close friend, who was a year older. "He had to sit tight and bide his time," Rollinson said, "and he did."

During his senior year, his only season as Mater Dei's starter, Brennan proved he was more-than-accurate passer.

"We liked his swagger," Rollinson said. "We liked his moxie. I knew he would be good because he was competitive."

That was apparent every time Brennan stood in the pocket.

"As a high school player, Colt hadn't grown into his body yet," Rollinson said. "He was still a little, I don't know, a little gangly, a little geeky, in the sense he didn't move well. He certainly wasn't going to scramble for any yardage. We used to admire the fact that as a competitor he'd hang on to that football and then he'd let it fly. If it was out late, he'd take the hit, and just get up and go, 'Let's do it again.' "

Dave Money knew

As Mater Dei's offensive coordinator, Money knew Brennan's defiant spirit. Money watched the telecast of the Warriors' victory over Washington in the regular-season finale in which they rallied from a 21-0 deficit.

"I was really impressed with his demeanor and body language through adversity," Money said. "They were down 21-0, and you would have never known that.

"That's one thing Colt's always had. We had a game where we played Fallbrook. We were down, 17-0, in the first half. He came back in the second half and led us to victory. It kind of reminded me of that watching him play the other night. No matter what the situation is, it won't affect him. He's always wanting to be positive."

Christian Allen knew, too

"I knew if they went with four finalists, he would be in there," said Allen, who was Brennan's roommate at Worcester (Mass.) Academy in 2003. "His numbers were out of this world. He should have been there last year."

Allen remembered when he was assigned to room with a "quarterback from California."

They formed an immediate bond. Allen, whose family owns property in Florida, is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys surfing.

On weekends, they stayed with his family, including Allen's parents Fran and Cindy and sisters Katie and Amanda in Boston.

"He became a part of my family's life," Allen said.

June Jones knew

Jones, UH's head coach, said: "I knew he was special the first time I saw him throw."

That was on a videotape of a Saddleback Community College game.

"I remember (former Hawaii athletic director) Paul Durham was sitting right there," Jones said, pointing to a chair in his office. "He said, 'What are you going to do next year after Timmy Chang?' "

Chang, the NCAA's career leader in passing yards, completed his eligibility in December 2004.

Jones grabbed Saddleback's videotape, popped it into the recorder, and watched Durham watch the images on the wide-screen television.

Jones told Durham: "Don't breathe a word of who that guy is. I don't want anybody to know."

A year later, after Brennan led the nation in passing and touchdown throws as a first-year quarterback at Hawaii, Durham said to Jones: "You were right about that guy."

Terry Brennan did not know

Oh, he had an inkling his son would become a household name. But that was because he debated the name Maverick after the Brennan household's favorite television show.

The Brennans then looked at a map of Southern California. Colton, Calif., had a nice ring.

"I figured I couldn't mess that up too much," Terry said.

There was a long line of Brennans who played football.

"We never pushed Colt," Terry said. "It was his choice to play. It wasn't me or his mom or his family. Colt has a real relationship with the game itself. It pushed him."